Roadside device for automatic train-stops.



M. C. WRIGHT. ROADSIDE DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2,1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

A TOHIVEYS MARSHALL C. WRIGHT, 0]'3Y NEW YORK, N. Y.

Roansinn :Dnvicn For. AUToiviATc 'llaaiiv-siors.

Original application iled A pril 22, 1914, Serial No. 833,675. Divided and this application iled September Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2, 1914. Serial No. 859,790.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, MARSHALL C. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of` the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Roadside Device for Automatic Train- Stops, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relatesV to railway safety appliances, and has particular reference to devices arranged along the railway track or roadbed, and associated Vwith either the switch, signal, or other equivalent means for automatically controlling the position of an obstacle adapted to be struck by a locomotive or train device, to prevent an accident should the train for any reason pass a danger signal, or other points, at or before which it should be stopped.

Further particularly stated, among the objects of the invention is to so improve the roadside `devices for automatic train stops, as to make them more reliable and practical than those devices heretofore prepared, or

now in general use, each of the controlling devices for the movable obstacle being ineluded in a normally closed circuit, and

made operative upon the breakage of such l Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the saine on the lineV 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4e is a diagram of the wiring of the devices just referred to, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modifica-- tion of the invention in which the trip arm or obstacle is connected directly and me- Y chanically to a semaphore.

Theseveral parts of the device may be Referring more particularly to the drawings for a descriptionof the mechanism, I

show at R, a rail which may be understood i as the right hand rail of a pair of rails upon which a locomotive or train L is running. vAt A is shown a brake-air-line normally closed by means of a frangible member F and from which projects a rigidv striking member S. These devices may be of any suitable or approved construction,

but preferably they are of the nature fully set forth and claimed in my application, Serial No. 833,675, for automatic trainstop, filed on the 22nd day of April, 1914, andV of which application this is al division.

As may be inferred from the foregoing, the striking member S is so related to the locomotive or train, that when a switch is open, a danger signal is set, or some other condition demands that the train be stopped at a certain point, the striking member will engage an obstacle along the roadside, and cause the frangible member F to break or snap, opening the air-line and allowing the brakes to set automatically as usual.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I arrange upon the roadbed, vas for instance, upon an `extended tie 34 or other suitable foundation,

a bracket or base V35. At the end of the bracket or standard 35 adjacent the track Way is a strong` spring 36, the lower end ofv the spring being fixed at 37 to the bracket. The structure ofthe spring is such that it tends to assume a lat and straight form, and stand upright as shown in full lines in Fig.

1, but normally it is held under tension in the distorted position shown in dotted lines where it is out of the path of the aforesaid striking member on the train. At the upper' end of the spring 36 is connected a trip arm for obstacle 38 adapted to project inwardly,

horizontally' towardA the railway track when in operative position. At 39 I show a signal box or casing secured in a deinite position just on the outside of the obstacle 38, said casing being preferably connected and supported upon the base bracket 35. ln this casing are secured red and green targets l() and 41 respectively, one or the other of which is always caused to shine by reason of one or more lamps Ll2 located within the casing in the same circuit a3. Either lamp alone would be sufficient, but for the purpose of increasing the reliability of the service l desire to employ two. At a4 l provide a solenoid having a horizontally movable core 45. @n the inner end of the core is secured a shutter a6 which, in one position, obscures the red target; that is to say, the solenoid la being in a normally closed circuit l? from a switch box 48, the roadside obstable 38 connected to the core 45 by means of a link i9 will be held in the Aposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, and Yhence the removal or failure of any essential part of the mechanism will cause the obstacle 3S to be set in stop position by virtue of t le spring 36 or other suitable means, at which time the shutter i6 will obscure the green target, allowing the red target to show. rlihe switch box 48 is shown provided with a lever 50 which may be connected for operation with any movable part of the track or semaphore signal mechanism. V/lhen a switch is open, the signal devices being set at danger, or if for any other reason a train should be brought to a stop, the circuit l? will be broken and the solenoid la denergized. Under these circumstances the force of the spring 36 will set the obstacle arm 38 in the position shown in full lines in Fig. '1, and there hold it in the path of the striking member S. lWhen the signal and tripping mechanisms are set at stop or danger position, it is possible to allow the train to proceed under orders by the manipulation of a normally open hand switch 52, restoring the energy to the solenoid la and hence reti-acting the obstacle arm 38 momentarily while the switch 52 is held closed by a trainman. rlihe casing 39 is substantially closed, inclosing the lamps, the solenoid 44, and the shutter 46. l provide., however, on the outer end of the core a disk or plate 53 lying normally close to the inner wall 5d of the casing so as to prevent rain or snow from entering the casing or collecting upon the core 45.

F ig. 5 indicates diagrammatically a semaphore, the arm 62 of which is set at danger position. 63 represents any suitable connection between the semaphore arm and the obstacle arm 38 which permits the force of the spring 36 to set the obstacle arm in tripping position when the signal arm 62 is set as shown. W hen, however, the arm 62 is moved downwardly/'to safety or clear position, the connection 63 withdraws the obstacle arm 38 out of the path of the striking member in a manner similar to that already set forth.

l claim l. rlhe herein described roadside device automatic train stops comprising a strong spring, means to hold the lower end of the spring in iixed position, the spring extending naturally vertically from its holding means, an obstacle arm carrier entirely by the upper end of the spring and projecting laterally therefrom, and means acting upon the spring against the tension thereof to tilt and hold the obstacle arm out of position tobe struck when the track is clear.

2. ln a'roadside device, the combination of a bracket, a flat spring standing upwardly therefrom, an obstacle arm carried by the upper end of the spring, and adapted in danger position to be struck, and means acting upon the spring to hold it in bent position with the obstacle arm out of position to be struck when the track is clear.

3. In an automatic train stop, the combination of an obstacle along the roadside and comprising an arm movable toward and from the track, a strong flat spring secured in a stationary position at one end and connected at its free end t0 said obstacle arm, the force of the spring tending to hold the arm in position to be struck, and means connected to the arm and operated co-incidentally with the movement of the switch or signal to clear position to withdraw the arm outJ of striking position.

t. ln an automatic train stop, the combination of a rigid stationary support, a flat leaf spring connected at one end to said support, an obstacle arm carried by the other end of the spring, the force of the spring tending to hold the arm in one p osition with the spring straight, power means supported upon said support, pivoted link connections between the power means and said arm, and means acting upon said power means coincidentally with the movement of the track equipment to clear position to move the arm into a different position from that aforesaid, placing the flat spring under tension in the form of an arc.

5. ln an automatic train stop, the combination of roadside devices including a stationary supporting standard, a Hat leaf spring connected to the standard and eX- tending upwardly therefrom, an obstacle arm carried by the upper end of the spring and adapted to extend inwardly toward the railway track under the force of the spring, power devices associated with the standard, said power devices including a rigid member adapted to reciprocate in a horizontal plane toward and from the track, a pivoted link connection between the rigid member and the obstacle arm, and means to apply power name to this specieation in the presence to said reciprocating member to hold the of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

same in clear position to retain the obstacle MARSHALL C. WRIGHT. arm out of striking position against the ten- Witnesses: o sion of the spring aforesaid. GEO. L. BEELER,

In testimony whereof I have signed my GEORGE H. EMSLIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

